Hand-operated knitting machine



1964 KOJIRO SASAKI HAND-OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 19 1961 1964 KOJIRO SASAKI HAND-OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 19 1961 KOJ/RO SASAK/ ATTORNEY 1964 KOJIRO SASAKI HAND-OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 19, 1961 kw mw mm Rm Q INVENTOR u MN KOJ/RO SASAK/ ATTORNEY United States Patent 0 HAFBQZERA Kojiro l as nor to l Nagoya, Eapan, a c

Filed Apr. 19,

This invention relates to a hand-operated knitting machine, and more particularly to a hand-operated knitting machine having an elongated flat bed.

Hand-operated knitting machines have been known in the art which comprise single elongated flat needle bed, a plurality of needles arranged in a row capable of advancing and retracting at a right angle with respect to the lengthwise direction of said bed and having their butts projecting above the top of the bed and a carriage mounted as to be slidable longitudinally of said bed and provided with a yarn guide at the front thereof and on the bottom side with cam means for engaging the butts of the needles during knitting operations to cause the advance and retraction of said needles.

in such knitting machines, however, when it was desired to perform knitting other than plain knitting, for example, fancy knitting such as multicolor knitting or tucking, it was necessary to select the butts of the needles with which knitting one color yarn in multicolor knitting or tucking was to be performed and advance them individually by hand to keep them separate from the other needles used in the knitting operation. Hence, in knitting knitted products such as mentioned above, much time was expended with a great tendency to make mistakes.

A primary object of the present invention is to make it possible to knit fancy knitted products with precision in a short time. For achieving this object, the hand-operated knitting machine of this invention comprises a plurality of needles whose shanks project into a needle bed, means for lowering the rear end of the shank of the needle perpendicularly to the upper fiat surface of said needle bed when any of said needles is advanced to a somewhat more forward position for participation in knitting operations from its nonparticipating position, at least one needle selecting member mounted in a supporting frame secured to the aforesaid needle bed which is capable of reciprocation parallel to the advancing and retracting direction of the needles and is of a length capable of acting on all of the needles, means for causing the reciprocation of said needle selecting member, and

needle selecting projections provided at suitable intervals along said needle selecting member. Thus, in accordance with this invention, when the needle selecting member is advanced it becomes possible to select and advance in a single stroke from the needles that are participating in the knitting operation those whose shanks come opposite the needle selecting projections as arranged and in engagement therewith.

Another obiect of the invention is to provide a wide variety in the possible arrangements of the knitting needles that are selected and advanced by the aforesaid needle selecting member, thereby obtaining a wide variety of knitted patterns botr readily and rapidly. To attain this object, in the hand-operated knitting machine of the present invention the aforesaid needle selecting member consists of a plurality of pattern plates having numerous needle selecting projections disposed at regular intervals from each other, whereby a wide variety of arrangements are possible by changing or combining said pattern plates.

A further object of the invention is to provide an easily operated hand-operated knitting machine in which the change in the arrangement of the needle selecting projec- Fatenteol Feb. 4, 15 64 tions as described above is readily accomplished. For achieving this object, the invention comprises means for positioning the needle selecting projections of the aforesaid pattern plates normally in their inoperative positions in which they do not engage the rear ends of any of the needle shanks, manually operable actuating members supported by the aforesaid supporting frame and of the same number as the number of pattern plates to which each is coupled, means for bringing each pattern plate connected to an actuating member into operative position so that its needle selecting projections are engageable with the rear ends of the needle shanks of thise needles participating in the knitting operation when the aforesaid actuating member is actuated, a locking device for bolding in their operative positions the pattern plates coupled to the actuating members by locking said actuating mem bers in their actuating positions, and means for releasing said locking device and returning the aforesaid pattern plates to their inoperative positions. By the very simple operation of manually moving the aforesaid actuating member to its actuatin position the arrangement of the pattern plate can be changed concurrently with its being brought into its operative position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the description given hereinafter and the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 7 illustrate an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 being a top plan view of the essential parts of a hand-operated knitting machine of the invention.

FIG, 2 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the essential parts of the invention with a part of the needle bed and cover cut away and a part shown in section.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III1II of FIG. 2.

4 is a view illustrating the needle selecting member.

PEG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of PEG.

FIG. 6 is a sectional View taken along line VI-Vi of FIG. 2.

1G. 7 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale taken along line VII-VII of FlG. 2.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. 1 is the elon ated supporting frame which consists of a cover in to which has been secured a reinforcing frame 15. 2 is the single elongated fiat needle bed which has been secured to said supporting frame 1. 3 are the needles which have been mounted in the aforesaid needle bed in parallel alignment so as to be advanced and retracted in a direction at a right angle to the lengthwise direction of said bed, the butts &- of said needles projecting above top of the needle bed, and the shanks 5 of the needles projecting to the back of said needle bed. ii is the rear side t *orting plate whose one edge is secured to the or needle bed 2 on its underside with its other dge secured to the supporting frame 1, and is for supporting the shank 5 of the aforesaid needles 3.

immediately to the rear of the butts of each of the aforesaid needles 3 there is provided an inclined por- When, as shown in FIG. 3 by the ti 7 in the shank 5. broken line, the needle is at its backmost position of the needle bed where it does not participate in knitting operations, its inclined portion 7 is in the rear of the aforesaid rear side supporting plate 6, and the rear end of the shank 5 rises upward, whereas when the needle 3 is in a somewhat more forward position than in the above instancea position, as shown by the solid line in the same figure, where it participates in knitting operationsthe aforesaid inclined portion 7 is in a position to the front of said rear side supporting plate 6, and the rear end of the shank lowers. That is, there is a difference in the heights of the rear ends of the shanks 5 of the needles 3 which participate in knitting operations and those which do not. V

8 is the carriage mounted on the needle bed 2 which is manually slidable along the lengthwise direction of said needle bed 2. At its front is provided a yarn guide 9 and a pair of pressers It 14 On the underside of carriage 8 is provided cam means (not illustrated) which engages the aforesaid butts 4 of the needles 3 and efiects the advancing and retracting movements of said needles.

11 is the holder forming a LI-shaped channel 12 along practically the whole length of the needle bed 2. It is located underneath and to the rear of the needles 3 that are participating in knitting operations, and on its underside several guide studs 14 are attached, each of which passes through several guide slots 13 which are disposed parallel to the direction of the advance and retraction of the needles 3 and are suitably spaced along the length of said reinforcing frame 1b. Thus, the aforesaid holder 11 is capable of making reciprocating movements paralleling the direction of advance and retraction of the needles 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, L-shaped levers 15 (only one shown) are pivotally attached to the underside of the aforesaid reinforcing frame 1b at three places, one approximately at the middle and the othertwo at the end portions of said frame. At the tip of one of the arms of the lever 15a a long groove 16 is provided paralleling the longitudinal direction of said arm, whereas on the other 15b a projection 17 is pivotally attached so as to be rotatable. The tip of the aforesaid arm 15a extends under the aforesaid holder 11 where the groove '16 of said arrn 15a engages a pin 18 provided in the underside of said holder 11. The tip of the arm 15b is extended so as to be still further back than the shank 5 of the needles 3, and each of the projections :17 is secured by way of stop screws 21 to a rod-like link Whose one end has a crook 19. Between the aforesaid holder 11 and the reinforcing frame 1b a spring 22 for pressing the aforesaid holder 11 to the rear is provided.

Inasmuch as the construction is as above described, when the aforesaid link 24) is pulled to the right in its lengthwise direction facing FIG/2, the aforesaid levers 15 are turned in unison, and the aforesaid holder 11 is made to advance in a direction paralleling the direction of advantage and retraction of the needles. When the link 29 is released, the holder 1-1 reverts to its former position.

23a-23d are the four pattern plates that are of lengths sufficient to act on all of the needles and are held in the groove 12 of the aforesaid holder 11 and move together therewith, thereby constituting a single needle selecting member. As shown in FIG. 4, each of these pattern plates 23a23d has provided along its upper edge a number of needle selecting projections 24a24d spaced at intervals four times the pitch of the needles 3, the pitch being the distance between adjacent needle, and at one end, separated a somewhat greater distance from the needle selecting projections, and likewise at the upper edge, are provided engaging recesses 25a25d. These pattern plates 23a23d are further provided with several f-shaped grooves 26a-26d (only one shown) for each of them suitably spaced along the length of the pattern plates at the same position in each plate. 27 are the pins (only one shown) that lit in these guide grooves 25a-26d and which pass through the groove 12 of the aforesaid holder 11 and are secured thereto. When the aforesaid pins are positioned so that they are onthe same end of the guide grooves of each of the aforesaid pattern plates, the needle selecting projections 24(1-240! of the respective pattern plates 23a-23d, as is clearly illustrated in FIG. 4, are arranged so as to be staggered in succession a distance equal to one pitch of the needles 3. In other words, when all of the pattern plates 23(1-2-362' are raised to their operative positions by positioning the pins in the left ends of all of the guide grooves, the needle selecting projections 24a24d of these pattern plates will be arranged, as shown in FIG. 7 by means of broken lines, in staggered positions without OV-'11&P of any of said needle selecting projections. Hence, the foregoing needle selecting projections would be positioned such that each of the rear ends of the needle shanks 5 is vis-a-vis with respect to each of the needle selecting projections. This being the case, the same arrangement of needle selecting projections as has been set up in the operative position can be transferred in the lengthwise direction of the needle bed by changim a pattern plate in the operative position for one of the other pattern plates in inoperative positions. For example, in FIG. 7 the arrangement illus trated by means of solid lines is that in which pattern plate 23d has been raised to its operative position while pattern plates Z3a23c have been lowered to their inoperativepositions, thereby making it possible to selectively advance every third needle. Now, if pattern plate 23d is exchanged for pattern plate 2312 by lowering the former and raising the latter, the arrangement of the needle electing projections capable of selectively advancing, as above, every third needle will be transferred to the right for a distance corresponding to two pitches of the needles.

like manner, a variety of transfers can be made as desired. The aforesaid engaging recesses 25a-25d are made to be arranged with suitable spacing in accordance with the order that the aforesaid needle selecting projections 24(2-241) are arranged. As illustrated in FIG. 7, when the pin 27 is made to be positioned at the right end of each of the guide grooves 26a26d, the needle selecting projections 241144;! are maintained in their inoperative positions in which none of them are in engagement with any of the needles 3. On the other hand, when the pattern plates 23a-23d are moved to the right facing said figure and the pin 27 is made to be positioned at the left end of each of the guide grooves Zea-26d, the pattern plates Zia-23d rise somewhat as to maintain the needle selecting projections E la-24d in their operative positions wherein they engage only the rear ends of the shanks 5 of the needles 3 that are participating in the knitting operation.

28 is a j-shaped supporting rack which constitutes a part of the reinforcing frame 1b. 2%:1-2961 are push buttons, to the undersides of which are secured actuating plates 3fia3ld, said actuating plates being fitted into openings 32a-32d and 33 which are provided respectively in the top plate 28a and the stepped portion 31 provided at the side plate 280 of the aforesaid supporting rack Thus, said push buttons are provided in rows so as to be movable vertically at the upper side of said supporting rack 28. Between the push buttons 29a-29d and the supporting rack 28 springs 34a34d are provided whereby the push buttons 29a-2-9d are constantly urged upwards.

35:1-35d areopenings that have been provided in each of the actuating plates, and, as shown in FIG. 7, they are provided with inclined guiding edges 35a36d, holding portions 37a-37d at the lower ends of said guiding edges 3oa36d and locking portions Pisa-33d at upper ends of said guiding edges Lida-36d. 39 is the journal plate affixed to the upper side of the bottom plate 281) of the aforesaid supporting rack 28. 4ia4-@d are L- shaped crank-shaped guide bars which are journaled so as to be rotatable in the aforesaid journal plate and which, extending in the direction of the advance and retraction of the needles 3, pass through the openings 36a36d of one of the actuating plates Sim-38a and fit into one of the engaging recesses 25a25d of the aforesaid pattern plates 23a23d. lla-4 1d are the springs provided between the supporting rack 28 and each of the aforesaid crank-shaped guide bars dtizk ltld and act to urge the rotation thereof in a clockwise direction facing the FIGS. 2, 6 and 7.

As described hereinbefore, the push buttons 29a29d are at all times pressed upwards by means of the springs L da-34d and maintained in the position. When the push buttons are in this state, each of the crank-shaped guide bars ida-49d, as shown in FIG. 7, being in engagement with the respective holding portions 37a37d of the aforesaid actuating plates SiEQ JQd are prevented from rotating, and the pattern plates 23a-23d are held in their inoperative positions. When the push button is depressed, the aforesaid crank-shaped guide bars ilia-49d become released from their engagement with the holding portion 37514711, and by means of the rotative force of the aforesaid springs lla-41d rotate and advance along the guiding edges 36a3fid of the actuating plates Silo-39d to the right facing FIG. 7, coming to a stop when they reach the right side edges of the openings 35a35d. When the .push buttons 29a29d are released, the crank-shaped guide bars illaidd become engaged with the locking portions fizz-33:1 of the actuating plates 3tla3lld and the rise of the push buttons Ego-29:1 are prevented. Hence, the push buttons fizz-29d are maintained in their depressed position, and the crank-shaped guide bars in their rotated and advanced positions, where they are both locked in operative positions. in this state the pattern plates Zia-23d that are coupled to the crank-shaped guide bars dda tild are pulled to the right, resulting in the needle selecting projections 24zz-2d of said pattern plates being pulled up to their operative positions where they can engage the rear ends of the shanks of the needles 3 that participate in the knitting operation and at the same time becoming locked in this position. As described i-ereinabove, with the openings 35:1-3541 of each of the actuating plates Slim-38d being passed through by a single cranloshaped guide bar, the aforesaid push buttons can be, while independent of each other, locked cumulatively in operative positions. Therefore, it is such that the pattern plates 23a23d can also be readied cumulatively in the operative position independent of ea'h other. Thus, it is possible to ready a plurality of optional pattern plates 23114342 in the operative positions md by means of the combination of their needle selecting projections obtain a wide variety of selections in the arrangements of the needles. 7

4?. is the locking and releasing plate attached as to be slidable in the lengthwise direction of the needle bed 2 to the inner side of the side plate 28c of the aforesaid supporting reel; 23 by Way of guide studs 44a, 44b mounted on the inner side of the side plate .280 of said supporting rack 28 and a pair of guide slots 43 43b provided in said locking and releasing plate through which said guide studs 44!; pass through. This locking and releasing plate 12 is urged constantly to the right facing the Fl *3. 2 and 6 by means of a spring 45 provided between said plate 42 and the supporting rack 23. At the bottom of the locking and releasing plate 42 are provided projections 6a4d disposed on that side countering the aforesaid springs ltz ild of each of the crankshaped guide bars aha-dud, and on one end of said locking and releasing plate is provided a bent portion 47.

When the aforesaid crank-shaped guide bars 4lla are locked in their operative positions, the res ective projections ids-45a of the aforesaid locking and releasing plate 42 come in contact with said crank-shaped bars 4 3czlld as illustrated in FIG. 6. On other hand, when the locking and releasing plate .2 is moved to left facing the same figure, the crank-shaped guide bars are rotated counterclock 'ise against the action of the aforesaid spr ngs la- I-ld. When the crank-shaped guide bars t a thd rotate as above the crank-shaped guide bars Qa-fid become released from their engagement with th locking portions 3i=a38d, and thus the push buttons 29a-29d are pushed upwards by the springs 34a d d. When crank-shaped guide bars 4lln4'3d strike the left side edge of the openings Silo-35d and stop, the rise of the push buttons 29a29. l is terminated and they are positioned in their inoperative positions, and the crank-sha d guide bars 43a4ild are in engagement with their holding portions 37(z37d of the actuating plates where they are to be held. The pattern plates Z3n23d are at this instant held in their inoperative positio s. Precisely, by moving the aforesaid locking and releasing plate to the left facing FIG. 6 the push buttons 1.3 1243% the pattern plates Ella-23d that were locked in their 0 erative positions are released simultaneously from their locked positions. When the release member "32 is released after completion of the above movement, it irmnediately reverts to its former position by means of the action of the spring 45.

4% is the linking member provided on the underside of the top plate 28:: of the aforesaid supporting rack 28 so as to be movable in the lengthwise direction of the needle 2 by means of a of guide studs Silo, 59!) moun ed in said link ng member and which pass through a pair f lateral guide slots 4%, 4% provided in said linking member 48. This linking member as is provided with a catch 51 which engages the bent portion 4-7 of e aforesaid loc ing and releasing plate 42, a slot 52 whicis coupled with the bent portion 39 of the afores 23 an indentation 53 in the middle thereof. 1 en the aforesaid member is moved to the let. facing PEG. 6, the catch 51 of the linking member and the b l? of the locking and releasing plate engage and only the locs' g and releasing plate moved to the left, thereby releasing from their locked states push buttons a-29d which had been locked in th operative pos ions. On the other hand, when the lliilxillg member is moved to the right facing FIG. 6, the slot 52 of the linking member 43 and the bent portion 133 of the link 29 engage and only the link 2:) i moved to the right, thereby advancing the needle selecting member.

54 is actuating shaft which is pivotally attached to the side of the cover la, and as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 an 6 po ';ion of the shaft protruding to the outside is provided therein with cutaway p0 ions 5'5, whereas to that portion protruding towards the inside is secured an arm 57 having a pin which fits the aforesaid indentation 53 of the link g member 43, whereby by turnsaid actuating shalt the aforesaid linking member is moved laterally. 53 is the operating handle provided at its extr with a fork 59 that fits the aforesaid "tatvay portions 55' of the actuating shaft. When the handle 5 is moved to the left, and the actuating shaft is rotated counterclockwise, the aforesaid link i is moved to the right; while, on the other hand, when right, the actuating shaft to rotate clock-Wise, the locking and reate 4-2 is moved to the left.

performed, if, to begin with, according to the selection made of the arrangement of the needles, a suitable number of push buttons are depressed and locked in their operative positions, then, as described hereinabove, the pattern plates 23-a23d coupled to the push buttons 29::- Zdd are readied in their operative positions, and their needle selecti g projections 24=a24d are readied in a position in engagement with the rear end of the shanks 5 of the needles that participate in the knitting operations.

West, by moving the handle 58 over to the left facing FIG. 6, the holder 13., through the intervention of the link 29 and the lever 15, advances as described hereinbefore, and the needles 3, which are in engagement with the needle selecting proections Zea-24b that have been readied in their operative positions, are selected and advanced simultaneously, thus making possible the selection and gro' g, as desired, of the needles 3 that are to p rticipate in the knitting operation. Needless to say,

dur the interim of movement of the holder 11, the

en a irn recesses 25a25d of the aforesaid attern lates b O a 23(1-23d move together with the holder 11 While retain ing their operative or inoperative positions alongside the aforesaid crank-shaped guide bars 4Z4-ild.

In case it is desired to change the, arrangement of the needles 3 to be selected and advanced, if the aforesaid handle 58 is moved to the left facing FIG. 6, with the aforesaid push buttons 29a29d and the pattern plates 23a-23d being released from their locked states by the locking and releasing plate 42, as described hereinbefore, the change is achieved very readily by repeating the above operations, i.e., by depressing the push buttons again according to the arrangement of the needles 3 that is desired.

Having thus described the nature of the invention what I claim is:

1. A hand-operated knitting machine comprising, in combination, an elongated supporting frame, a single elongated flat needle bed secured to said supporting frame, a plurality of needles arranged in a row in said needle bed capable of advancing and retracting at right angle to the lengthwise direction of said needle bed, each of said needles being provided with a shank projecting to the rear of said needle bed, and a needle selecting mechanism consisting of means for loweringthe rear end of the shank of the needle perpendicularly to the upper fiat surface of said needle bed when any of said needles is advanced to a somewhat more forward position for participation in knitting operations from its nonparticipating position, at least one needle selecting member mounted in said supporting frame to the rear of said needles capable of reciprocating movements parallel to the direction of the advance and retraction of said needles, said needle selecting member being of a length suflicient to act on all of the needles in said needle bed, means for reciprocating said needle selecting member, and a plurality of needle selecting projections arranged in a row at suitable intervals on said needle selecting member for selecting and advancing the needles when said needle selecting member is advanced by engaging the rear ends of the shanks of those needles participating in knitting operations that are disposed vis-avis with respect to said arrangement of needle selecting projections.

2. A knitting machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said needle selecting member consists of a holder recipro'cably mounted on said supporting frame, a plurality of pattern plates held in said holder and having a plurality of needle selecting projections from the upper edges there of arranged in a row at regular intervals, and the intervals of said needle selecting projections between each of said pattern plates being variable with reference to the pitch of the needles whereby the arrangement of needle selecting projections caused by the combining of said pattern plates is varied.

3. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, an elongated supporting frame, a single elongated flat needle bed secured to said supporting frame, a plurality ofneedles arranged in a row in said needle bed capable of advancing and retracting at right angle to the lengthwise direction of said needle bed, each of said needles being provided with a shank projecting to the rear of said needle bed, and a needle selecting mechanism consisting of means for lowering the rear end of the shank of the needle perpendicularly to the upper fiat surface of said needle bed when any of said needles is advanced to a somewhat more forward position for participation in 8 knitting operations from its nonparticipating position, a holder reciprocably mounted on said supporting frame, a plurality of pattern plates held in said holder and having a plurality of needle selecting projections projecting from the upper edge of each of said pattern plates and arranged thereon in a row at regular intervals, said pattern plates being of a length sufiicient to act on all of the needles in said needle bed, means for positioning said pattern plates normally in an inoperative position in which said needle selecting projections do not engage any of the rear ends of the needle shanks, means for reciprocating said holder, manually operable actuating members mounted in said supporting frame and of the same number as that of said pattern plates, means individually connecting said actuating members to one of said pattern plates and moving said pattern plates in an operative position wherein they are engageable with the rear ends of shanks of needles that are partioipating in knitting operations by actuating said actuating members that are connected to said pattern plates, means for locking said actuating members in their operative positions, thereby retaining in their operative positions said pattern plates which are connected to said actuating members, and means for simultaneously reverting said pattern plates to their inoperative positions as well as releasing said actuating members from their locked positions.

4. A km'tting machine as defined in claim 3, wherein said manually operable actuating members are mounted in said supporting frame and each of them including a push button that effects ingress and egress into and from the upper surface of said needle bed in a direction perpendicular thereto. a

5. A knitting machine as defined in claim 3, wherein said means for reciprocating said holder includes a rotatable shaft which is normally maintained in a neutral position and which also is connected to means for releasing the actuating members from their locked states, characterized in that the construction is such that when said rotatable shaft is turned in one direction from its neutral position said needle selecting member is advanced, whereas when said rotatable shaft is turned to the opposite direction from its neutral position said locking means is released from its locked state.

6. A knitting machine as defined in claim 3, wherein said needle selecting projections of the respective pattern plates are arranged in a row at regular intervals spaced a number of pitches of the needles equal to the number of plates used and, in their operative positions, are in staggered succession a distance equal to one pitch of the needles, whereby said needle selecting projections are positioned such that each of the rear ends of the needle shanks is vis-a-vis with respect to each of the needle selecting projections, said locking means being individually provided for each of said actuating members for locking each of said actuating members successively in its operative position, whereby the same arrangement of needle selecting projections are capable of being transferred to the lengthwise direction of said needle bed by exchanging the readied pattern plates in operative position for one of the other pattern plates in inoperative positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 91,214 Crane June 15, 1869 

1. A HAND-OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED SUPPORTING FRAME, A SINGLE ELONGATED FLAT NEEDLE BED SECURED TO SAID SUPPORTING FRAME, A PLURALITY OF NEEDLES ARRANGED IN A ROW IN SAID NEEDLE BED CAPABLE OF ADVANCING AND RETRACTING AT RIGHT ANGLE TO THE LENGTHWISE DIRECTION OF SAID NEEDLE BED, EACH OF SAID NEEDLES BEING PROVIDED WITH A SHANK PROJECTING TO THE REAR OF SAID NEEDLE BED, AND A NEEDLE SELECTING MECHANISM CONSISTING OF MEANS FOR LOWERING THE REAR END OF THE SHANK OF THE NEEDLE PERPENDICULARLY TO THE UPPER FLAT SURFACE OF SAID NEEDLE BED WHEN ANY OF SAID NEEDLES IS ADVANCED TO A SOMEWHAT MORE FORWARD POSITION FOR PARTICIPATION IN KNITTING OPERATIONS FROM ITS NONPARTICIPATING POSITION, AT LEAST ONE NEEDLE SELECTING MEMBER MOUNTED IN SAID SUPPORTING FRAME TO THE REAR OF SAID NEEDLES CAPABLE OF RECIP- 